About this hotel
General information
Giraffe Manor is a manor house of 1932 in Langata, on Nairobi’s green south-western fringe, set on a private estate of about 5 ha within some 57 ha of indigenous forest. Its herd of free-roaming Nubian giraffes, once classed as Rothschild’s, wanders out of the forest morning and evening, pushes heads through windows and onto balconies for a treat, then drifts back; the animals are neither trained nor tamed.
There are 12 rooms: six in the historic house and six in the Garden Manor, a younger twin built in the same style from reclaimed materials. The house runs like a private home, with no reception desk. In the 1970s fewer than a hundred Nubian giraffes were left in Kenya and a breeding programme began here; today there are more than a thousand, and calves born at the manor have been released where the subspecies had vanished. Part of every stay supports the neighbouring AFEW Giraffe Centre. Rates include all meals and drinks (premium labels aside), laundry, Wi-Fi, Giraffe Centre entry and Nairobi transfers on arrival and departure.
Location
The manor lies in Langata, next to Karen, on Nairobi’s leafy south-western edge. Nairobi’s international airport is about 27 km away, some 40 minutes by car, and Wilson Airport, where domestic safari flights depart, about 13 km or 25 minutes. Transfers within Nairobi at check-in and check-out, and to nearby sights and shops, are included.
Spa
Wellness is handled at The Retreat at Giraffe Manor, a neighbouring centre on the same giraffe sanctuary that manor guests use as part of their stay. It has two treatment rooms for massages, a sauna, a steam room, a hot tub and a gym, and hosts wellness classes.
Sports & leisure
The day turns on breakfast with the giraffes, fed from a window, a balcony or the garden swing. Beyond that:
- a walk to the neighbouring AFEW Giraffe Centre, with entry included;
- croquet, boules, chess, giant Jenga, painting, puzzles and board games at the manor;
- the pool, gym and wellness classes at The Retreat at Giraffe Manor;
- game drives in Nairobi National Park and visits to an elephant orphanage nearby;
- helicopter excursions, horseback outings and tea estates in the countryside;
- Nairobi’s craft centres, boutiques and galleries;
- a giraffe sponsorship programme that includes meeting the adopted animal.
Restaurants & bars
There is no restaurant as such: the kitchen cooks only for overnight guests, and breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner are included. Breakfast is served in the sunroom of the historic house or the Garden Manor dining room, where giraffes look in through the windows, and lunch in the courtyard between the two houses. Private dinners can be set up in the Orchid House, on a room balcony or in a quiet corner of the courtyard. Next door at The Retreat, Daisy’s is a restaurant and bar serving home-style cooking.
Swimming
The Retreat at Giraffe Manor, next to the house, has a 21-metre infinity pool and a sundeck above the giraffe sanctuary, open to manor guests as part of their stay.
Rooms
The twelve rooms are split between the 1932 house and the Garden Manor, six in each, and no two are alike in layout, beds, outlook or whether a giraffe can reach the window. They comprise nine Superior doubles, one triple and two family suites with two bedrooms.
Every room has Wi-Fi, a coffee machine, a hairdryer, a safe, fans, mosquito nets and handmade Kenyan toiletries, with laundry included.
Historic Manor Two-Bedroom Suite
The largest room at the manor, on the top floor of the historic house: a king-size four-poster in the main bedroom and two single four-posters that convert to a double in the second, plus a small daybed for a young child. Two bathrooms with bath and shower, a lounge with a fireplace and writing desk, and a generous south-facing balcony for early-morning giraffe feeding; for two adults and two children.
Jock Superior Room
A room with a fireplace, a king-size or twin beds and a south-facing window onto the giraffe feeding lawn and the Giraffe Centre; the bathroom has a bath, shower and twin basins. For two.
Marlon Superior Room
King-size or twin beds that join into a large double, with an adjoining sitting room whose sofa converts into a child’s bed. Two bathrooms with showers, an east-facing balcony at the foot of the bed and a private terrace with seating for feeding the giraffes.
Betty Superior Room
A couple’s room with a king-size bed, a fireplace and an adjoining balcony; the south-facing window overlooks the giraffe feeding area. The bathroom keeps its original Art Deco look, with bath and shower; a cot can be added.
Daisy Superior Room
One of the smaller rooms, above the breakfast room, with a king-size or twin beds, westward views to the Ngong Hills and a balcony only the tallest giraffes can reach. Twin basins and a spacious shower; for two.
Lynn Superior Room
A ground-floor room with a king-size or twin beds, a small veranda and a larger covered terrace that the giraffes amble past. The bathroom has a bath, shower and twin basins, and the room can be reached at ground level.
Garden Manor Two-Bedroom Suite
A family suite on the first floor of the Garden Manor, up a wooden spiral staircase from the breakfast room: a king-size main bedroom with a balcony over the sanctuary, visited by giraffes, and a second bedroom with twins or a double and a small daybed. An open-plan bathroom with freestanding bath, rain shower and twin basins, plus a second shower room; for two adults and two children.
Helen Superior Room
A large corner room with two four-posters that join into one big bed, windows west to the Ngong Hills and south over the sanctuary forest; on a clear day Kilimanjaro shows on the horizon. Giraffes come to the windows in the morning; bath, shower and twin basins.
Kelly Superior Room
An upstairs room with three single beds, two of which push together for a couple, a fireplace, cane furniture and a southward view over the sanctuary forest. The bathroom has a bath, shower, twin basins and a stained-glass wall.
Arlene Superior Room
A snug upper-floor room with a king-size four-poster, looking over the courtyard between the houses to the forest beyond, where giraffes cross the lawns each morning. An oddly shaped bathroom with bath and shower; for a couple.
Salma Superior Room
A quiet top-floor room with a double or twin beds and a private south-facing balcony with table and chairs above the courtyard and forest. Bath and shower; the stairs up are steep.
Edd Superior Room
A ground-floor room with a super king-size bed, stained-glass windows and its own veranda, where a private bar can be set up on request. A corner bath, a large double shower and twin basins; the sofa pulls out for a child.
Photos are for illustrative purposes only. Actual room layout, furnishings, décor, views and amenities may differ from those shown and may vary between rooms of the same category. Hotel and room descriptions are based on information provided by the property and are believed to be accurate at the time of publication, but are not guaranteed. The hotel may renovate or change its rooms, facilities, restaurants and services at any time without notice. The final details of your stay are confirmed at the time of booking. See our Terms of Use.